Category Archives: Cleaning

Did anyone select decluttering as a goal for 2019? Many folks do. That’s why there are so many plastic bins on sale now, because, if you can fit all your extra stuff into plastic bins, you can stack the bins in a closet or garage or storage unit and never think about the items again — except when it’s time to pay the rent on the storage locker. And, once you don’t see the clutter, it’s gone … or not.

This is a picture of my quasi storage closet. Some items are clothes I take traveling. Some are concert dresses I no longer use. Boots and hats no one wears. A beat up suitcase. In the world of Marie Kondo the latter items are unloved and unnecessary. Yet, though the concept has a certain appeal, getting rid of them isn’t one of my goals of the year. Well, maybe the suitcase. In my defense, the closet is tidy. I see the items and each has its place.

I bring up the topic of decluttering, because it’s a perennial aspiration. Probably the result of growing up with adults perpetually telling us to clean our rooms when we think they look just fine. Or, even worse, cleaning our rooms for us before the patina of dust reaches its perfect cleaning point.

You may be aware that Marie Kondo and her magical method of tidying up began streaming on Netflix this past New Year’s Day. On December 31, Kondo had 710,000 followers on Instagram. Now she has at least 1.3 million. Of course, following and decluttering are two distinct activities.

I’m not sure when we became culturally obsessed with getting rid of clutter, but I suspect Minimalism and Martha Stewart Magazine might have something to do with it. I mention Martha Stewart Magazine, because as a young adult that’s the publication that told me it was important to fold my fitted sheets which I occasionally attempt. Mostly, I kind of roll them up and put them on the bottom of the linen closet. If you want to see how Martha Stewart folds fitted sheets, I’ve included a video at the bottom. So far, the video has had over two million views.

Do you remember when feng shui books flew off the shelves? That was the practice of using energetic forces to harmonize individuals with the surrounding environment. Sound principles, but hard to put into practice, which may be why Marie Kondo and her KonMari principles of organizing just about everything is so appealing.

Kondo suggests our possessions reflect our state of mind, and that when we put our house in order, it follows that we put our affairs and our past in order. Thus it becomes clear what you need and how you should proceed. On the other hand, she has a precise way of folding clothes that you can see below.

There is an order to the KonMari method: clothing, books, documents, kitchen and bathroom miscellany, and sentimental items. There was a bit of a flap recently about the books, because Marie said one shouldn’t have more than 30 books. I think it’s clear from this picture that I’m way over the limit, but if I love a book and use a book, it’s not a violation of KonMari principles. Just don’t keep the ones you’ve never read or reread and probably won’t. Thank them for their service and donate to the library book sale. Someday is no day at all.

To give a sense of Marie’s method, I’ve included this video from her appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show.

Marie Kondo turns decluttering into the joyful occupation of tidying up. She wants us to have a relationship with our possessions, and if they don’t give us joy, we should thank them and let them go to their next life. Goodwill Industries reports they’ve had a spike in donations. I don’t know if this happens every year or if it’s the Kondo Effect.

I’ve always had a tendency towards a clutter free life, but the tipping point came when I had to empty my parents’ house. Books from their college years. Telephone books from thirty years before, because they might need to find an address someday. That could have been because there was no digital consultant. Carefully stored National Geographic Magazines in official boxes and Reader’s Digests in date order, because they were too good to throw away and someone might want them. Unfortunately that was a generational belief and no library anywhere needed that many copies.

That was the defining experience in my now constant awareness of clutter. I know exactly which closet items will go first.

I’m talking to you, my beautiful shoes that I can’t wear anymore.

Beware, because I can’t predict when the spirit of tidying up will strike.

🌴🌴🌴

Here is the video from Martha Stewart on how to fold fitted sheets. All I can say, is who has that kind of time?

Six weeks ago the groundhog saw his shadow and declared winter wasn’t over. Between then and now we’ve had indicators that spring was on the way. Holi, a moveable festival, took place on March 2. Daylight Savings Time in the U.S. started last Sunday. But tomorrow is the Spring Equinox when Spring becomes official in… Continue Reading

We don’t think much about washing clothes. Which is to say most of us don’t think it’s an enjoyable occupation. This is true whether we take our washing to the laundromat, or have the luxury of a home machine. For some bizarre reason, every time I use the washing machine, I think it’s some kind… Continue Reading

Spring officially begins in about a month. Some people think of bunnies and chicks. Some wonder if they should clean something. I dream of organizing my closet. There’s nothing really wrong with my closet. It has a rack and top shelf on either side. One side has a dresser with room to stand the… Continue Reading

Until today, I didn’t know “spring-clean” is a verb. So the ladies in our featured image may not be sweeping the floor. They could be spring-cleaning it. If so, I’m sure they’ll remember to clean their brooms afterwards. When used as a noun, a spring clean is a thorough cleaning of a house, often undertaken… Continue Reading

According to Feng Shui principles, January is “get organized month.” I guess it’s all those pristine new calendars – the ones we still buy even though our entire life is held captive by smart phones. When I think of getting organized, clearing my desk comes to mind. Simply shoving paper into drawers doesn’t count,… Continue Reading

Throughout history, there has been laundry. As proof I submit today’s featured image of women in ancient Greece filling a wash tub. And, as long as there has been laundry, people — usually women — have complained about having to do it. But the truth is, washing clothes today isn’t nearly the chore that it… Continue Reading

Ever had the urge to assemble of bowl of multi-colored glitter and just throw it in the air while you ran around the room? Ever curbed that urge by thinking about how you’d never get the glitter out of the carpet? If you answered yes to the first question, you are either a water sprite… Continue Reading

Some of my Twitter followers know I recently cleaned out my closet (because I couldn’t find anything to wear) and rediscovered “the collection room” floor (I knew it had to be there somewhere). When Matthew Wright (no relation), member of the #myWANA hashtag group on Twitter, realized I’d inadvertently begun cleaning my closet,… Continue Reading